Thoughts, gravel, and a broken toilet seat…
I love design magazines and TV shows, when I have a chance to read and watch them. What I find interesting, and truthfully a little frustrating, is being told what works and what doesn’t work. My immediate reaction is always, how do you know what works for me? I think there are probably some basic “rules” of design that a lot of interior designers follow and yet, I wonder why those rules and who decided that way of doing things was better than another. I feel, though, if you are going to a designer to “create” your home then you probably have more disposable income than I have, that you don’t mind being given options rather than developing them yourself, and that you have a goal which requires assistance.
In the last couple of weeks I’ve read articles that all seem focused on only having a couple of colours throughout the house. My last house had an open concept main floor and I can see where too many colours could be chaotic. I had an accent wall done and left the rest an off-white neutral. My “new” house is made up of distinct rooms and is nowhere near open concept. I can understand how the same colour scheme would create a flow throughout the house, one room blending into the next. However, that’s really not me. I think it can flow even with a different colour base per room.
I spoke before about planning my rooms based on the feeling that I want from that space. My main floor bathroom is very white and sparkly. You’ll learn, that’s not my go-to colour palette. It works in that room because it’s tiny and the white makes it clean while the sparkle brings some life and opens up the space.
The most important thing, in my opinion, is that you choose what will make you happy to be in your home. When you wake in the morning and head to the kitchen for your first cup of coffee or tea, will you feel grounded, anxious, unsettled, or maybe a sense of excitement? Will your feet walk on floors that make you wish for something different or will they propel a warmth up your body? Some people may think this is silly - how do your floors have an impact on your day ahead? Years ago as a single mom with a young son, I doubt that I noticed much about my floors except if I was tripping over toys that weren’t put away. With those days behind me, I’m choosing to make a home that will speak to me. I have always appreciated being able to put a roof over my head (and my son’s when he lived at home) and now I want that to be more than an exercise in necessity. I want this house to become a home that feeds my soul. I want to walk down my slightly crooked stairs and appreciate their age and that they’ve stood for 166 years and seen children run up and down and grandparents climb them to tuck those precious children into bed with a story. I want to feel like I belong in this building. That the building is more than walls and a roof; that it’s a place that comforts when comfort is needed and throws open its doors when friends come to call.
Back to choosing design ideas: don’t make a rushed decision on anything and be sure that you are happy with your choice before you make it final. I know I’ve already changed my colour scheme for the kitchen and am thankful I wasn’t in the middle of the reno when it happened. I guess that’s another thing this pandemic and subsequent lockdowns has given me - lots of time to contemplate my choices!
This week’s post is going to cover a few different things.
In one of my first entries, I mentioned the very cool, and very gross, claw foot tub that came with the house. I searched around and found a highly recommended company for reglazing the tub. Luckily we were not back in lockdown when my appointment rolled around. A few things I learned about reglazing a tub: it’s like a specialized paint job, it involves a lot of brown paper taped up to cover the rest of the room, and venting is required. In fact, it was very much like the inside of my tub got a coat of shiny white paint.
My plan for the second floor bathroom where the tub is located, is a spa environment, based in greens and warm wood. Long before I even considered selling my previous home and moving, I was at a flea market and discovered a gorgeous antique maple washstand. I was so excited to see how it would look in a house that is closer to its age. It fits beautifully on one wall and will eventually become a true washstand again. More about that when the bathroom reno gets going. In the meantime, I have a vision for my personal spa and the very first thing that had to be done was cleaning up that tub! Unfortunately, I forgot to take a “before” picture, so you’ll have to trust my description of “gray and gross”.
Clawfoot bathtub reglazed!
This picture is just after it was glazed. It takes at least 12 hours of “curing” to make it usable. The difference from “gray and gross” was stunning. The tub will be the focal point of the spa that the bathroom will become. A tub like that requires luxurious accessories. I want to wander through a store and see and feel what I’m buying so I’m waiting until our stay at home order is lifted before making any purchases. I know what I have in mind. Next up: finding it!
Part of me thought I must be crazy to move from a home with a double car garage to a house with a gravel driveway and no protection from the elements for my car. As the snow melted, I discovered it’s not a gravel driveway. It’s a dirt driveway with maybe 15 feet of gravel covering the entrance from the street. And what happens when you have a dirt driveway and snow is melting or rain is pouring? Well, if you drive on it you put ruts in it.
After a quick call to a local excavator I found out I was going to need approximately nine tonnes of gravel to cover the rest of the driveway. Yikes! That seems like an incredible amount of anything to have loaded onto a truck and delivered. Turns out, nine tonnes is about half a truckload. (Still seems like an awful lot to me.)
They were able to deliver the next day and my nephew, who was coming over to help with some outdoor work, was arriving that morning. The gravel got dumped about 20 minutes before said nephew pulled up. I had time to walk around it and take a couple of pictures before the work started. I wondered if I had received enough. I didn’t know how much to order, I went on the expert’s advice (the excavator) and had to trust him.
Now, to be honest, I was working from home at my job that morning. There wasn’t going to be any help for my nephew beyond his own 25 year old body. If he hadn’t been available, I would have tackled the job myself and I’m sure it would have been a two or three day event. The nephew worked solidly and got it all raked out. He built me the remainder of my driveway and I’m ecstatic! It may not seem like putting gravel down does much but the difference it makes to look at, is incredible. See the pictures below for the before and after.
Pictures on the left are “before”. On the top right is a picture of the finished driveway and the lower right is the hardworking nephew and my mom (“Grandma”, also known as the project manager) who oversaw the work.
With any house there are always things to do. At least in any house in which I’ve lived, that’s true. This morning, while thinking about the words for today’s blog, I encountered one of those “things”. The toilet seat upstairs broke. Honestly, while I’ve definitely eaten more than my fair share during this pandemic, I’m pretty sure I didn’t gain all that much weight! Eek! So, I have a broken toilet seat. I’ve pondered what to do about it. Should I just replace it? After all, you can get one without spending much money, and while we’re locked down we are still able to do curbside retail pick ups. Hmmm …. A new toilet is on the list my contractor already has for the upstairs bathroom. We expect to be out of lockdown in about two weeks. I know a new seat doesn’t cost much but is it a waste of money when I am hoping the contractor will be doing work soon? It’s not like it’s the only seat in the house!
Can you imagine a duct taped toilet seat? That’s my answer until I decide. Now that’s something I would never have expected to see in my house. And I can guarantee it’s something no one will ever get an opportunity to see.
It’s Mother’s Day weekend. I hope mothers all get treated with love and gratitude this weekend and always. I know I will be eternally grateful for all that mine has done and taught me. I can’t imagine life without her. She’s opinionated (I might have picked it up quite naturally!) and loving and giving and the hardest working person I’ve ever known. Give your mom some love today, whether she’s still here with you or only in your heart.